He has fired seven nurses this week, and if your child makes a single sound, you will both be thrown into the snow, Chief Guard Mikhail warned me at the heavy iron gates of the Volkov estate.
The next morning, the manor felt different, heavier. The usual quiet hum of staff moving through the house was replaced by an almost total silence.
I found myself alone, even Mikhail not standing guard outside Damian’s door.
Around noon, a sharp bell rang through the estate, signaling an emergency meeting in the grand dining room. I heard the muffled footsteps of staff heading that way.
Curiosity, and a growing unease, pulled me towards the sound. As I approached the dining room, I saw Julian Drake standing at the head of the polished mahogany table, his velvet coat draped over a chair.
He addressed all twelve household staff members—from the scullery maid to the groundskeepers—who sat rigidly in their chairs, eyes fixed on him. My heart clenched.
He hadn’t seen me yet. I stayed hidden just outside the double doors, listening.
“Clara Halloway,” Drake began, his voice smooth and authoritative, “is not who she claims to be.”
A knot formed in my stomach. My hidden past, the one I had run from for years, threatened to surface.
“I have uncovered information,” he continued, “that suggests she is a disgraced former convict.”
A collective murmur rippled through the staff. Mrs. Gable’s face was a mask of grim satisfaction. Mikhail Rostova’s brow furrowed in concern, but he said nothing.
“She uses her deaf child,” Drake said, his voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper, “to manipulate wealthy, dying patients for inheritance scams.”
My hands clenched into fists, my nails digging into my palms. He was twisting everything, using Lily’s innocence as a shield for his lies.
“Her presence here,” he concluded, his gaze sweeping over the staff, “is a direct threat to Mr. Volkov’s final wishes and the integrity of this estate. From this moment forward, I expect every one of you to restrict her access. No food, no medical supplies beyond what she already possesses, no clean linens. Complete isolation.”
A groundskeeper shifted in his seat, clearing his throat. “But, Mr. Drake, the child…”
“The child is part of her scheme,” Drake interjected, his voice hardening. “She’s a distraction. Anyone caught assisting Nurse Halloway will face immediate termination and legal repercussions.”
The room fell silent. No one dared to challenge him further. The seeds of suspicion and fear had been effectively sown.
By evening, the effect was palpable. I tried to get a glass of water from the kitchen for Lily’s formula, but the cook, a woman who had been friendly just yesterday, turned her back to me.
“Kitchen is closed, Nurse,” she mumbled, not looking at me.
I tried to explain about Lily’s needs, but she simply walked away, leaving me standing in an empty, echoing kitchen.
Later, I attempted to retrieve fresh towels from the linen closet, but the door was locked. The housekeepers walked past me in the corridor, their eyes darting away, pretending not to see me.
The west wing, where our quarters were located, became a silent prison. Drake’s command had taken root, isolating Lily and me completely.
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